Pennsylvania to Virginia: residential contractor license reciprocity
Virginia has no reciprocity agreement with Pennsylvania. Your Pennsylvania experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Virginia exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state residential builders: experience transfers, the RBC exam does not
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
Virginia has no general reciprocity or license-recognition route into the contractor license for residential builders arriving from a state other than North Carolina or Ohio, so the firm applies as a new applicant. What does transfer is experience: the application asks for every contractor license, certification and registration the business, its qualified individual, its designated employee and its responsible management hold outside Virginia, and the Board will review a current out-of-state license as proof of the one, three or five years of residential building experience its class requires. To have it counted, the out-of-state board must supply a Certification or Letter of Good Standing giving the license number, the initial date of licensure, the expiration date, how the license was obtained (examination, reciprocity and so on) and any closed disciplinary actions. The qualified individual still sits the Virginia RBC technical examination with PSI after the Board pre-approves the Experience Verification Form, a Class A or Class B firm's designated employee still sits the business examination, and the eight-hour pre-license education course is still required. The Board's universal license recognition program covers Virginia's individual tradesman and other personal credentials, not the Class A, B or C contractor license, so it is not a route to this license.
The class letter is about contract value, not about houses versus commercial work: a residential builder can hold any of Class A, B or C with the RBC classification, and the fees, net worth and experience figures below change with the class. Virginia also requires the firm to register with the State Corporation Commission and to comply with the local license requirements of every county, city and town where it works. The Board's agreement list also carries an Ohio entry, pairing Ohio's Business and Law examination with Virginia's Advanced and General law examinations, but on the Board's own agreements document that sentence belongs to the Ohio master electrician entry and the arrangement is an electrical one; it does not reach the Class A, B or C building classifications, and Ohio does not license residential or general building contractors at the state level in any case. The Board publishes only the existence of its agreements, not their terms; call (804) 367-8511 or email [email protected] before assuming an out-of-state credential will be accepted.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 30 days
What you must already have
- The qualified individual must have one year (Class C), three years (Class B) or five years (Class A) of experience in residential building contracting; experience earned in another state counts18VAC50-22-40, -50 and -60 set the ladder by license class; the Board pre-approves the Experience Verification Form before the qualified individual may sit the RBC technical examination.
- Your Pennsylvania license must be active and in good standing.Certification or Letter of Good Standing showing license number, initial date of licensure, expiration date, means of obtaining licensure and all closed disciplinary actions.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
What you'll do to get licensed in Virginia
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($274.50). Class C initial license fee on the current application form, which combines the $235 fee in 18VAC50-22-100, the $25 Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund assessment and the technology fee of $7.25 per year. The same form charges $419.50 for Class B and $439.50 for Class A. Fees are not refundable..
- 2Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility of at least $15,000 (if applicable). Class B applicants must document at least $15,000 of net worth or equity and Class A applicants at least $45,000, using the Board's Financial Statement Form with supporting documentation, a CPA-reviewed financial statement or a CPA audit. Class C has no financial requirement..
- 3Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($50,000) (if applicable). A $50,000 surety bond on the Board's Surety Bond Form may be filed instead of the net worth documentation for a Class A or Class B license..
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Virginia Residential Building (RBC) technical examination for the qualified individual, administered by PSI after the Board pre-approves the application and Experience Verification Form..
- 5Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. PSI contractor business examination for the designated employee of a Class A or Class B firm: the General and Virginia portions for Class B, and the Advanced, General and Virginia portions for Class A. Class C licenses have no designated employee and no business examination..
- 6Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($85). Paid directly to PSI: $85 for a qualified individual specialty examination such as RBC, and for the designated employee's business examination $40 for one portion, $72 for two or $85 for three. Examination fees are set by the Board's vendor contract and may not exceed $200 per element..
- 7Other. Eight hours of Board-approved pre-license education, completed by the designated employee or a member of responsible management for Class A and Class B, or by a member of responsible management for Class C. The Board approves the courses but providers set their own prices..
- 8Other. Certification or Letter of Good Standing from each out-of-state board, prepared by that board, if an out-of-state license is being submitted for experience credit or under an examination agreement. (if applicable).
- 9Business license. Obtain a business license. Registration of the business entity with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, including out-of-state businesses, plus compliance with the business license requirements of every county, city and town where the firm performs work..
- 10Background check. Complete a background check (if applicable). An original criminal history record dated within 90 days is required from each jurisdiction where any person listed on the application has a felony conviction, or a non-marijuana misdemeanor conviction within the last three years..
- 11License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($250). Class C renewal every two years: the $220 renewal fee in 18VAC50-22-140 plus the $30 Recovery Fund assessment. Class B renewal is $260 and Class A $270, each plus the $30 assessment. Licenses expire two years from the last day of the month in which they were issued..
Published fees on this path total $609.50, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Surety bond
A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.
- Surety bond · $50,000 · if applicable
Exam preparation
Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.
- Trade exam
- Law / code exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Other
Business registration
If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.
- Business license
How Virginia licenses residential contractors
Virginia residential contractor · “Class A, B or C Contractor, Residential Building (RBC)”
Statewide license
Issued by Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR)
Virginia licenses contractors through the Board for Contractors at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, and the license is issued to a business entity rather than to a person. Every license carries two separate things: a class (A, B or C) that sets the dollar limit on the work, and one or more classifications or specialty designations that set the type of work. Class C covers a single contract or project over $1,000 but under $30,000 and under $250,000 of work in any 12 months; Class B covers $30,000 to under $150,000 per project and $250,000 to under $1 million a year, and requires $15,000 of documented net worth or equity; Class A has no monetary ceiling and requires $45,000 of net worth or equity. A $50,000 surety bond on the Board's form may be filed instead of the financial statement, and Class C has no financial requirement at all. Homes-only work is the Residential Building (RBC) classification, which covers dwellings and townhouses and their accessory structures and folds in concrete, home improvement, masonry, painting, roofing, landscape and swimming pool work on those properties, but never electrical, plumbing, HVAC or gas fitting and never commercial buildings; smaller repair and remodeling firms may instead take the Home Improvement (HIC) specialty. The firm names a qualified individual for each designation, who must have one year (Class C), three years (Class B) or five years (Class A) of experience in that work and must pass the Board's RBC technical examination, and Class A and Class B firms also name a designated employee who passes the PSI business examination. All classes need eight hours of Board-approved pre-license education, and licenses run two years from the last day of the month of issuance.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Virginia residential contractor exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
- Yes. Virginia requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a Virginia residential contractor license from Pennsylvania?
- Published fees on this path total $609.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Virginia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Virginia's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Virginia to Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Virginia to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is no credit.
Sources
- 18VAC50-22-100 - Fees · 18VAC50-22-100; Va. Code § 54.1-1119 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-110 - Renewal required · 18VAC50-22-110 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-140 - Renewal fees · 18VAC50-22-140 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-20 - Definitions of license classifications · 18VAC50-22-20 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-30 - Definitions of specialty services · 18VAC50-22-30 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-40 - Requirements for a Class C license · 18VAC50-22-40 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-50 - Requirements for a Class B license · 18VAC50-22-50 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-60 - Requirements for a Class A license · 18VAC50-22-60 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-70 - Qualifications for licensure by reciprocity or substantial equivalency · 18VAC50-22-70 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-80 - Examination fees · 18VAC50-22-80 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- Va. Code 54.1-1100 - Definitions (Class A, Class B and Class C contractors) · Va. Code § 54.1-1100 · Virginia General Assembly (LIS) · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- Form A501-27LIC - Contractor Licensing Information and Application Instructions (v18, 08/01/2026) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- Form A501-27EXINFO - Board for Contractors, Requirements for Qualified Individuals (v10, 09/01/2025) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- DPOR Board for Contractors - program page (licensing, education and exams, reciprocal agreements) · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Virginia Board for Contractors - Reciprocal Licensing/Examination Agreements with Other Jurisdictions · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Agreement Document · verified September 17, 2026
- DPOR - Universal License Recognition · Va. Code 54.1-204, 54.1-205 · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.